Originally published in Great Britain 1991 by SPCK, London

Why study early church history? / Joseph Kelly -- The world of the Roman Empire / Jan Merdinger -- The birth of Christianity / John Riches -- The Jewish dimension / William Horbury -- The pagan religious background / Luther H. Martin -- Christian mission and expansion / Knut Scḧaferdiek -- The Bible / Rowan Williams -- Creeds / Adolf M. Ritter -- Ministry, worship and Christian life / Stuart G. Hall -- Christian asceticism and the early monks / Philip Rousseau -- Church councils and synods / James Alexander -- The Greek fathers / Frances Young -- The Latin fathers / David Wright -- The Oriental fathers / Sebastian Brock -- Greek influence on Christian thought / Christopher Stead -- Gnosticism / Kurt Rudolph -- Orthodoxy and heresy / Maurice Wiles -- Mysticism / Andrew Louth -- Schism and church unity / Gerald Bonner -- Pagan perceptions of Christianity / Timothy Barnes -- Church-state relations / Noel King -- Christian attitudes to poverty and wealth / Boniface Ramsey -- Patristic historiography / Jill Harries -- Archaeology / Kenneth Painter -- The early Church in the Renaissance and reformation / Irena Backus